RAMS & CPP for Property Refurbishment
What compliance documents you need for full refurbishments, HMO conversions, and property renovation — and how The Site Book handles it for you.
What compliance do you need?
Full property refurbishments are complex projects involving multiple trades, extended timescales, and a wide range of hazards. Whether you're renovating a single property or converting a house into an HMO, CDM 2015 applies in full — and the project may be notifiable to the HSE.
Do you need a CPP?
Yes. A Construction Phase Plan is essential for refurbishment work. It should cover how you'll manage asbestos, coordinate multiple trades, maintain structural stability during alterations, and ensure fire safety throughout the works — especially for HMO conversions where fire safety is critical.
Do you need RAMS?
RAMS are essential for refurbishment projects. With multiple trades working across different phases — strip-out, structural, mechanical, electrical, and finishing trades — each activity needs its own risk assessment and method statement. The principal contractor should collect RAMS from every subcontractor.
Common hazards
- Asbestos — very common in pre-2000 properties (insulation, tiles, textured coatings)
- Structural instability during strip-out and alteration
- Working at height — stairwells, roofs, upper floors
- Lead paint in pre-1960s properties
- Electrical hazards from old or damaged wiring
- Dust from demolition, cutting, and sanding
- Manual handling across multiple trades
- Fire risk during works — especially in HMO conversions
- Coordination of multiple trades working simultaneously
How The Site Book handles it
Describe your project — "full refurbishment of Victorian terrace, converting to 4-bed HMO" — and The Site Book creates your RAMS and CPP automatically. It identifies refurbishment-specific hazards including asbestos, structural alterations, multi-trade coordination, and HMO fire safety requirements.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need RAMS for a full property refurbishment?
- Yes. Full refurbishments involve multiple trades and a wide range of hazards — from structural work and asbestos through to electrical and plumbing. RAMS are essential for managing the risks across all activities. Most clients, project managers, and building control officers will expect comprehensive RAMS.
- Is a refurbishment project notifiable to the HSE?
- A refurbishment is notifiable if it will last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers on site at any one time, or exceed 500 person-days. Many full refurbishments and HMO conversions will meet these thresholds. If notifiable, an F10 must be submitted to the HSE before work starts.
- What extra compliance is needed for HMO conversions?
- HMO conversions must meet additional fire safety requirements under the Housing Act 2004 and fire safety regulations. This includes fire doors, fire alarms, emergency lighting, and means of escape. Your CPP and RAMS should cover how these fire safety measures will be installed and tested during the refurbishment.
- How do I manage multiple trades on a refurbishment?
- Under CDM 2015, if there is more than one contractor on site, a principal contractor must be appointed to coordinate health and safety. The principal contractor produces the Construction Phase Plan and ensures all subcontractors provide RAMS. The Site Book makes it easy to create and manage documentation for each trade.
Get your refurbishment docs sorted
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